The carbon footprint of fresh sweet corn on the cob
Fresh sweet corn on the cob emits about 0.362 kg CO₂e per kg. Below is where that figure actually comes from — every stage of the chain, not a single headline number.
Where the carbon comes from
- Transport
- 0.299 kg
- 83%
- Moving it from farm to processor to shop.
- Processing
- 0.047 kg
- 13%
- Turning the raw product into food: milling, refining, slaughter, curing.
- Packaging
- 0.016 kg
- 4%
- Producing the packaging it reaches you in.
Lower-carbon alternatives
Each emits less than half as much as fresh sweet corn on the cob.
Similar products
Common questions
- How much CO2 does fresh sweet corn on the cob produce?
- About 0.362 kg CO₂e per kg, measured across the supply chain. That is roughly the same as driving 2 km in an average petrol car.
- What drives the footprint of fresh sweet corn on the cob?
- Transport is the largest contributor at 0.299 kg CO₂e, about 83% of the total. Transport is only 0.299 kg — which is why what you eat matters far more than how far it travelled.
- Where does this data come from?
- The WRAP UK Food & Drink Emission Factor Database v2.0, which aggregates peer-reviewed life-cycle assessments. This product's figures come from Frankowska et al..
Figures from the WRAP UK Food & Drink Emission Factor Database v2.0, which aggregates published life-cycle assessments; this product's data originates from Frankowska et al., for UK. Real values vary by farm, region and method — treat these as the shape of the problem, not a measurement of any one item on your shelf.
Shred what you can't cut
Diet is one of the biggest levers you control. For the rest, retire verified carbon credits — with the serial number to prove it.